Discipleship Essentials*
Sunday, November 14, 2004
My Prayer Today
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You this day and I praise Your name! I thank You for the gift of salvation that You have given me! I want to live my life for you. I ask that you would give me a greater desire to be in intimate conversation with You each day. I want to be a person of prayer. I admit that there are areas where I fall short, and I simply ask for the grace to be obedient to You in every way. Place within me a "praying spirit" that never ceases to be in conversation with You. I long to know Your heart and mind. I ask that You would pour out Your Holy Spirit upon me so that I may be a person that is full of prayer. I ask this in Your Son Jesus' name. . . Amen.
God’s Word Today
Luke 11:5-13
5 "Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this illustration: Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You would say to him, 6 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.' 7 He would call out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and we are all in bed. I can't help you this time.' 8 But I tell you this -- though he won't do it as a friend, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you what you want so his reputation won't be damaged. 9 And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. 10 For everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. 11 You fathers -- if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him."
Background on the Text – Who Wrote It? Why Was It Written? Who Was the Audience?
The Gospel of Luke was written by a doctor named "Luke" around A.D. 60-63. Luke's Gospel is the first of two books addressed to a man named Theophilus. Although Luke's name is not specifically mentioned in this Gospel, it has been widely accepted among early Christians that He was the author of the book. Luke, himself, was a Gentile (non-Jew) convert and probably the only non-Jewish author of a Bible book. As commentators have noted, Luke's writings reveal that he was well educated, a skilled writer, and careful historian, and an inspired theologian. Luke probably had in mind the growing Gentile church as he wrote Luke-Acts. Although the apostle Paul authored more books in the New Testament, Luke actually has the most material of any NT author because of the length of Luke-Acts.
Observation – What Does the Text Say?
(Specifically look at the bold verses, if any, to answer these questions.)
Interpretation – What Does the Text Mean?
Application – How Can I Respond to the Text’s Insights and Teachings?
Each Week’s Check List
After reading and studying this text, reflect on the following discipleship growth points:
Growth Point |
How |
Encouraged and strengthened me by |
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Fallen short areas |
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What will I do with these insights? |
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What did God say to me today? |
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Share insights and growth points |
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Changed/transformed how? |
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Thoughts...
What is prayer? Greg Ogden, the author of the Discipleship Essentials program defines prayer this way: "Prayer is transparent dialogue. It is a conversation with God in which we address Him and in quiet are addressed by Him." He says that prayer is simply a conversation with God. When we open up our hearts and minds before God and share with Him our thoughts and concerns we are praying. It is important to note that Ogden adds that prayer is essentially allowing God to speak to us. In other words, prayer is an opportunity for us to share our hearts with God and allowing God to share His heart with us. Prayer is a two way conversation with Him. It is amazing to think of many people who pray for five minutes and feel as if they have exhausted every subject with God, and then call their best friend on the telephone and talk for two hours! Is God really our best friend? Do we really communicate with Him and let Him talk to us?
This week we are going to be focusing on the story that Jesus shares in Luke 11:5-13 and look at five different principles we can learn from this passage on prayer. Before we look specifically at this passage this week, we need to think about our own prayer life. If prayer is a conversation with God, how well do we do at conversing with God throughout the day? I challenge you today to think about your prayer life and ask God to show you where it is you can improve. As R.A. Torrey once said, "prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God's infinite grace and power." If we want to experience power and grace for living, we must be a people of prayer!